Lust or gluttony: Which sin brought you to Bangkok?

It's a shame that Bangkok's reputation is often framed by the prominence of its notorious clubs and bars. In a perfect world, Bangkok would be most famous for something else you can pick up on the street — the best variety of wonderful, cheap food anywhere in the world. It's almost miraculous. Today, for instance, I had a lunch date in a neighbourhood I'd never visited before, out towards the edge of the rapid-transit line. I had no reason to believe there was anything special about it, but this is Bangkok. Any day, in almost any neighbourhood, you can stumble upon a street cart dispensing delicacies you've never seen before that quickly turn into your new absolute favourite. Before I had completed the four-block walk back to the train after lunch, I had loaded up with four different coconut confections, including a truly sublime bite called parinya: a little fried saucer that seemed to consist of rice and coconut pastes with sweet corn added, served slightly gooey and piping hot. I'm going back for more tomorrow.